I won the lottery!!!

Well.....in a way! I feel like I won the lottery at least!

Today I had my weekly appointment with the midwives and I appear to be making progress!! I am 2 cm dilated and 80% effaced---YIPPPPPEEEEE the Bradley exercises work! So if you happen to see me walking in the mall or some other air conditioned venue, just know that I am trying to help the process along!

My Mom, AKA THE Doula, is going on a work trip for a couple days next week so it would be nice to have a baby before or after her trip!

Here is a picture of me at 38 Weeks 3 Days!



And here is something I got today which I am SUPER excited about...I highly recommend it to all pregnant/nursing mom's:

The Bravado Nursing Cami....it is heaven in a pink cotton blend :)

Week 37: The Baby Bump

Pregnancy Highlights for the Week:

How Far Along: 37 Weeks

Fruit/Veggie: Swiss Chard ( they said that last week...??)

Size: Approximately 18-19 inches long and 6 1/3 lbs!

**My Friend Added this on her blog**
Progress: 1 cm dilated and 25% effaced...that was as of 36.5 weeks....we will see what I am at 40 weeks when they check me again!!!

Contractions: All evening/night long and now during the day too...let's hope that means progress!

Baby changes: Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, her lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. (Some babies need a bit more time, though. So if you're planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, your practitioner will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to intervene earlier.)

Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

Best Moment this week: Attending the Keller's Saucer Party, commemorating the end of their Beer Tours, and getting all the funny looks people give a 9+ month pregnant girl at a bar :) It was a lot of fun to hang out with friends and I got to eat some yummy soft pretzels too :)

ALSO-Finishing the accents for Isabelle's room with my mom (I will post pictures of her nursery soon so you can see our sewing projects!)

Movement: Still a little mover and shaker!

Food Craving: Not really into food lately...my appetite has definitely decreased!

What I miss: Having clothes that fit...my dresses are great still though :)

Sleep: I still sleep well but wake up with contractions and bathroom breaks!

What I am looking forward to: Holding my little girl!

Symptoms: Sore feet, backache, indigestion

Baby Bump Week 37:

****I need pictures from Sarina because they are the ONLY pictures I took this week--OOPS!***

Week 36: The Baby Bump

Pregnancy Highlights for the Week:

How Far Along: 36 Weeks

Fruit/Veggie: Swiss Chard

Size: Approximately 18-19 inches long and 5 pounds 9 ounces according to the ultrasound!

Baby changes: Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position (PRAISE THE LORD---She is!). But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

Best Moment this week: I picked Dylan up from the airport and got him home around 10:30 pm on Wednesday. At 3:30 AM I awoke thinking I was in labor!

After a couple of calls to the midwife she sent us STRAIGHT to the hospital, explaining I was too early to deliver at the birth center :( After crying through some very important questions with the midwife Dylan and I headed to the hospital and met my mom there! We had a great dress rehearsal and confirmed that our family is AWESOME... Everyone literally moved mountains to be there for us and we so appreciate it! I can't wait for the REAL Delivery Day (D-Day) when we get to have our REAL Birth party!!! They ran some tests at the hospital and luckily I was NOT in labor and Miss Isabelle was looking perfectly healthy!!

We headed straight to the birth center and got some AMAZING photos from our 4D ultrasound. They checked me out and confirmed that everything was good and we could go home without restriction.





Movement: Still a little mover and shaker!

Food Craving: Not really...

What I miss: Having normal feeling feet....tennis shoes or not they feel worn out!!

Sleep: I have contractions all night so I wake up every couple of hours but luckily go back to sleep usually!

What I am looking forward to: Seeing her plump little cheeks and confirming whether or not she looks like Dylan...I think she will!

Symptoms: Poor Sleep, Heartburn (sometimes), Arthritis, Sore feet, Backache

Baby Bump Week 36:

I think Dylan deserves a picture on here too..he is after all 36 Weeks pregnant too...even if he has no bump to show for it! I wish our birthing class made the guys wear a sympathy belly like my friend's!

These were our last B.I. (Before Isabelle) pictures...or so we thought! We were both a little worried/nervous/excited/overwhelmed!




This was from the day before....

Week 35: The Baby Bump

Pregnancy Highlights for the Week:

How Far Along: 35 Weeks

Fruit/Veggie: Honeydew Melon

Size: Approximately 18-19 inches long and 5 1/4- 6 pounds

Baby changes: Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now. Because she's so snug in your womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.


Best Moment this week: Dylan and I put together the bassinet this week. When we finished we looked at each other and it became so real that we were about to put our little girl in her new little bed. We opened up the newborn diapers and couldn't believe how small she is going to be!





Movement: All the time, but now she is definitely staying in the same position and just shifting and kicking around!

Food Craving: Not so much lately...I am not all that hungry. I think my stomach is a little crowded!

What I miss: Being able to sleep on my back.

Sleep: All of a sudden I can't sleep! I feel sorry for all those Mom's out there who struggle being able to sleep for throughout their pregnancy. I have been so blessed to be able to sleep for looonnggg periods of time :) UNTIL this week---I guess God decided it was time to get me ready for my sweet little one and her newborn schedule. After three nights of sleeping 4 hours I spent an entire day asleep! I am hoping my baby lets me catch up on sleep like that when she is here!

What I am looking forward to: Dressing the little Miss up in all her cute clothes! We have been so blessed to receive THE CUTEST clothes and accessories! I

Symptoms: Swelling, Poor/Little Sleep, Heartburn, AND NOW Arthritis ....all of my knuckles are swollen and sore! This whole pregnancy thing is hilarious...I can't believe I am 25 and have arthritis.

I am so very thankful that those are the only symptoms I have. I am feeling really healthy and kind of like being pregnant! It is such an exciting time in my life and I have this sweet relationship with my daughter that nobody else has! What a blessing this is :)

Baby Bump Week 35:

Here are some pictures on our little getaway to Fredericksburg for our Fourth Anniversary!

 

 

Week 34: The Baby Bump

Pregnancy Highlights for the Week:

How Far Along: 34 Weeks

Fruit/Veggie: Cantaloupe

Size: Approximately 18-19 inches long and 4 3/4 - 5 pounds

Baby changes: Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies. She is probably settling into the head-down position, although it might not be final. Organs are now almost fully mature, except for lungs, and the skin is pink instead of red. Fingernails reach the ends of fingers, but toenails are not yet fully grown. She might have lots of hair. Movements are less frequent because of the tight fit.

Best Moment this week: When Dylan felt and saw her foot drag across my belly...he looked at me like he was in complete and total shock! I was like "Babe she does that all the time...probably several times a day. How have you Not NOTICED THAT!!"

Another favorite moment was when Dylan was leaving for work and he kissed me goodbye and saw Baby girl simultaneously kick my upper right side and punch my lower left side...which made my whole belly shake! His eyes got as big as saucers and he started talking about all the sports she was going to play....I hope he knows she can play sports but she might ALSO want to do Ballet or something!

Movement: I had a couple days when she was not moving as much which totally freaked me out, but she still moved so they said everything was fine! She just usually kicks and punches and shakes her body and those days she just sort of shifter around. She returned to her energetic self and still makes me laugh every day at her spastic movements!

Food Craving: Water....I am so thirsty lately! Usually I get tired of plain old water but this week it is just not so.

What I miss: Pineapple... sweet glorious pineapple! I still can't eat it because it will make me throw up. I can hardly bare to glance at the beautiful mounds of pineapple in the grocery store with the gleaming sign that reads $1.99...as if it is mocking me. I may just have to buy a pineapple for $3.99 after I have this baby and enjoy every second of it's over-priced goodness!!

Sleep: Glorious sleep...I am still sleeping great! Have I shared that one of my biggest fears about becoming a mom is the sleep deprivation...I don't know how to handle that!!

What I am looking forward to: Finding out what my sweet little one looks like...Dylan...me...someone else...a combo DYlatherine

Symptoms: The swelling monster has come to my door and he wont leave! I have been very mildly swelling since Aug 1. I was christened into the pregnancy sweliing club with square looking feet and botox-bulgy lips and all. Rachel called me Sponge-Katherine-Square-Feet :( On bad days my feet look like squares (they are wide) and my face is quite full....Pregnancy is a humbling experience but such a wonderful one too. I feel so thankful to have a healthy baby growing and thriving inside of me even if she makes me look like I'm all puffed up!

Baby Bump Week 34:

Week 33: The Baby Bump

Pregnancy Highlights for the Week:

How Far Along: 33 Weeks

Fruit/Veggie: Pineapple (for weight)??

Size: Approximately 17-19 inches long and over 4 pounds (my updates keep giving me conflicting measurement approximations)


Baby changes: This week your baby is rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood. The next few weeks will mark lots of growth in the baby. She will gain more than half its birth weight in the next seven weeks. Baby begins to move less now as it runs out of room and curls up with knees bent, chin resting on chest and arms and legs crossed. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

Best Moment this week: I was sitting on the couch next to Dylan and he had to "boost" me up....needless to say it is getting harder to get in and out of chairs etc lately :)
P.S. By boost I mean push me up onto my feet...we laughed so hard. Him at me for the obvious reasons and me at him because he started pushing me up without any prompting.

Movement: She is still a little mover although I have noticed the movements are different. I guess she is starting to run out of room! She is still in the same position and loves to kick me on the right side of my belly, but still no kicks to the ribs yet! I think I have a thoughtful little girl because she could reach them if she wanted :)

Food Craving: No strong cravings really. I do kind of crave Italian food. Pasta, pizza, dessert any Italian food sounds nice :) My heart burn is getting worse so I also like ice cream and all things dairy.

What I miss: My cute clothes and being able to see! The belly is blocking my view!

Sleep: My sleep has gotten even better! For a while now I have had an insane amount of bathroom breaks in the middle of the night, but they seem to have stopped! Most nights I have been sleeping all night long and very soundly---I am so thankful! Let's just hope baby girl is a sleeper like her mom and dad!

What I am looking forward to: Holding my sweet baby girl!

Symptoms: I am still swelling off and on but it is just my feet and my hands and only when I have been overdoing it! My heartburn has now made me have coughing fits!!! I feel bad for people who have this all the time! I had a puke0free week---Praise God!!!!


Baby Bump Week 33:

I took this picture then the next day she grew or something because all of a sudden I started getting the torpedo belly....see below!



She felt so big that day!!

From Business Plans to Birth Plans

Today I am sitting here and writing a birth plan. It is amazing how God has transformed my life in the last year. 9 months or so ago I was writing business plans and today I am writing a birth plan!

I had never heard of a birth plan before we got pregnant but I have become an expert--- by expert I mean I used a template on the internet--- :)

Since I am using a midwife at a birth center, instead of a hospital, I need to have a well laid out plan IF I need to transfer to the hospital. The plan allows me to have a piece of paper I can hand to the doctors and nurses at the hospital to bring them up to speed on our care so Dylan or my mom or the midwives can focus on me!

I can't believe I will be "considered" full-term in 5 weeks and my due date is in 8. I have some work to do until then.

You can expect more posts starting next week because my dear sweet sister Rachel and my Ethan (she would say he is hers but I think of my nephew as MINE) will be returning home next week. Rachel's husband is a Captain in the Army and is serving for 12 MONTHS in Afghanistan! Please pray for them!! They are doing great but they could use all the prayer they can get in this season.

Here is a preview of what I will (hopefully) post about:
- The Bump updates ( my how my bump has become more of a mass or "small watermelon" as Rachel would call it soon-to-be seeded (and not so small)!
- My AMAZING Baby Shower - What a blessing our friends and family are--thank you!!!
- Girls' Night---or the YaYa Sisterhood as Dylan calls it (My sisters)
- The little Miss and her name
- Little Miss' baby bedding: AKA Sewing Adventures
- Her little Nursery---but it is not all put together so this might take me a while!

The Baby Bump at Week 28:



It is weird that I am now 31 weeks and that looks small....I need to take a picture ASAP!

Week 27: The Baby Bump

Pregnancy Highlights for the Week:

How Far Along: 27 Weeks

Fruit/Veggie: Like a head of Cauliflower

Size: Approximately 14 1/2inches long and about 2 pounds


Baby changes:She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

Best Moment this week: The day my niece, Lisa's youngest, asked me how I knew when I was going to have the baby (as in go into labor)....she asked "Does an alarm go off?"! What a clever little girl :)

Movement: She is still kicking and moving like crazy. She likes to hangout diagonally and kick me on my upper right side. I just hope she gets into a good position when it gets closer to D-Day. Luckily my birth instructor told me about http://www.spinningbabies.com just in case Baby Girl decides to be stubborn and stay in a bad position!

Food Craving: I don't have any major cravings still. I actually feel a little more in control of my hunger/eating. It is so nice to be able to eat more like my pre-pregnancy days, which means a lot more peanut butter in my life!

What I miss: I don't really miss anything. I am just thankful for a healthy pregnancy and hope I can feel this content for the next 12 weeks!

Sleep: I seem to be sleeping a little better this week,although I would not say I slept poorly last week! I am just not waking up multiple times in the night!

What I am looking forward to: Holding my baby girl and playing dress-up with her! I was not one to quickly give up playing dress-up and dolls. In fact my best friend growing up and her sisters had the coolest set-up for their dolls/barbies. They would spend all Saturday creating real-looking food with clay and paint, which only encouraged me to play with barbies and dolls for a long time, and then they would create this make-believe world in their closets. Somehow every storyline always followed the plot lines of Days of Our Lives, Marlena with amnesia etc etc!

Symptoms: I have had a major case of pregnancy brain this week. It is so bizarre! I told Dylan I played the memory game and my 10 year old niece beat me to which he replies, " You let her beat you though..." I wish that were true :)

Baby Bump Week 27:
I really need to take pictures at the beginning of the day instead of the end. I look tired and I had sweated (is that a word?) off all my makeup!

Week 26: The Baby Bump

Pregnancy Highlights for the Week:

How Far Along: 26 Weeks

Fruit/Veggie: English Hothouse Cucumber

Size: Approximately 14 inches long and 1 2/3 pound


Baby changes:The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel.


Best Moment this week: Baby Girl did some major moving! I was sitting down and all of a sudden I see this wave of motion ripple across my belly. It looked just like the science videos of concrete bridges waving during earthquakes! It was a definite alien moment!!!

Movement: I have one energetic girl on my hands. She definitely gets tired like her Mommy and Daddy, but I am really curious to see how this energy translates in the outside-of-the-womb world!

Food Craving: No food cravings this week. I am just not as hungry lately, which is a nice development! Sometimes eating feels like a task!

What I miss: I still love being pregnant at this point, and I am so thankful for that.

Sleep: I have been waking up some in the night but I think its because I am fighting a cold or something. I just nap later that day!

What I am looking forward to: Finding baby bedding, but I think I am too particular. I have fabric swatches to make her bedding if I don't find any but it would be nice to buy at least part of it!

Symptoms: My back hurts some because I keep moving on my back in the middle of the night---oops!

Baby Bump Week 26:

Week 23: The Baby Bump

Pregnancy Highlights for the Week:

How Far Along: 23 Weeks

Fruit/Veggie: Large Mango

Size: Approximately 11 inches long and 1 pound


Baby changes:Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound, you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

Best Moment this week: While swimming laps, baby girl started doing flip turns of her own! I think we have an Olympic swimmer on our hands :) It was the strangest feeling, having my little one flipping inside of me while I swim laps. I think she is already Mom's little workout partner! I can remember going to aerobics classes with my mom wearing my hot pink and pale pink striped leotard with matching leg warmers and mini-arm weights...I look forward to having a little tag along!!!

Movement: She is in constant motion it seems. She is kicking and punching several times a day.

Food Craving: I can't curb my sweet addiction. I wish I could blame it totally on baby girl, but I have always had this problem!

What I miss: These days I don't miss as much...but maybe my cute jeans. I can no longer come close to wearing my regular pants with the belly band :(

Sleep: I sleep great and seem to have more energy lately!

What I am looking forward to: Finding a crib for the little one

Symptoms: I am in the "honeymoon period" of pregnancy, praise the lord! So there aren't many symptoms to report besides some back aches!

Baby Bump Week 23:

Week 18: The Baby Bump

Pregnancy Highlights for the Week:

How Far Along: 18 Weeks

Fruit/Veggie: Cucumber

Size: Approximately 5.5 inches long and 7 ounces in weight

Baby changes: He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

Best Moment this week: This week in Birthing Class we had to "role play" a situation where the Coach says something encouraging and also gives an area that needs improvement in public. Apparently, most guys don't like to be put on the spot with people listening and that is going to happen in the delivery room so they want us to get used to it! All these guys in the class had to face their wives and some of them totally outed them in front of the whole class. They said things like you need to eat more healthy or you need to WORKOUT MORE.....I was shocked. Sweet (and quite smart I might add) Dylan told me I did a good job on exercising and eating healthy but I needed to eat more protein. Sometimes honesty is not the better choice :)

Movement: I have been feeling these distinct thumps! I think Baby D is going to be a soccer player and make his/her Momma happy (as opposed to Dylan's preferred sport....football) :) We can now see when the baby decides to "hang out" on one side of my body or the other. That is usually when I feel the big thump by my hip. I can't wait to start SEEING the thumps!

Food Craving: Just Food...in general...I have been eating second helpings this week at many meals. I am just hungry! Dylan says now I know what it truly feels like to be a Dahmann!!!

What I miss: My collection of clothes...but I have some cute things I can wear that are either maternity or are my version of maternity!

Sleep: I am still trying to catch up from the Bachelorette Party this weekend! I never knew it would wipe me out for the week!

What I am looking forward to: Baby D's Big Gender Reveal in one week!

Symptoms: Hunger and Thirst...I am an eating machine. I am also feeling my little belly muscles stretching and straining!

Baby Bump Week 18: (I should not take photos at 10 PM because I look as tired as I feel!)

Week 17: The Baby Bump

We have had a great week. I think Baby D has been having a growth spurt because I have been SO HUNGRY! I will let you be the judge of that (see latest bump pictures below)!

Pregnancy Highlights for the Week:

How Far Along: 17 Weeks

Fruit/Veggie: Onion

Size: Approximately 5 inches long and 5 ounces in weight

Baby changes: Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop

Best Moment this week: I started worrying because I hadn't felt the baby move in a while (or at least I hadn't noticed it) and then I woke up on Tuesday morning to the most distinctive kick! I never knew I would think being kicked was such a wonderful blessing...but it is! Another great moment was in birthing class when we learned the first of many relaxation techniques, the art of massage! Basically Dylan had to massage me how ever much I wanted throughout our lecture! I am anxiously awaiting week 5 when our "coaches" learn special pregnancy/birth massage techniques!!

Movement: Only the kick from Tuesday but hopefully more soon!

Food Craving: Orange Juice and Custard....Like to the point I wake up eat breakfast and plan to leave the house at 7:30 am to buy milk to make my Atoo's custard :)

What I miss: My waist....this week I have become "short-waisted". I also miss all my bathing suits because NONE OF THEM FIT. Seriously this might deserve its own post because there is a serious lack of bathing suits that have enough support for pregnant girls! I strongly dislike the maternity ones I tried on!

Sleep: Great!

What I am looking forward to: Still excited for the Gender Reveal Day aka Cinco de Mayo!

Symptoms: Still puking...but only once this week. It seriously made me depressed all day because I really am so over hte puking thing! On a more cheerful note, I am still having extreme hunger and thirst! I guess babycenter was right, we are having a growth spurt for sure ( I just hope Baby D is having the growth spurt and not my thighs)!

Baby Bump Week 17:

Week 16: The Baby Bump!

I am late posting this week as I will officially be 17 weeks tomorrow but oh well!

We had an eventful weekend including Jackson's 4th Birthday party, our nephew, and Donya's Bridal shower, Dylan's cousin's fiance and our old high school friend! Then on monday I got sick and had to get IV fluids and medicine to stop the throwing up. It was quite a scare for me, but the midwives took great care of me and my mom and Dylan nursed me back to health. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful husband and a saint for a mom to fill-in when the husband is unable to leave work!

Pregnancy Highlights for the Week:

How Far Along: 16 Weeks

Fruit/Veggie: Avocado

Size: Approximately 4.5 inches long and 3.5 ounces in weight

Baby changes: Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.

Best Moment this week: Attending our first birthing class together! Dylan was really encouraging and asked questions. He is going to keep me in check! He also has not failed to already make the whole birthing coach thing funny. I am thankful for this because I know I will need to laugh during labor. I am pretty sure I picked the BEST COACH ever and I am excited to go to class each week.

Movement: Baby D moved like crazy at Pappasitos on Sunday, I guess we are raising a good Houstonian who loves Pappasitos fajitas!

Food Craving: Custard, eclairs, and cream puffs ( I have controlled myself...mostly)

What I miss: Having a choice of pants to wear, but instead I wear skirts and dresses!

Sleep: Great!

What I am looking forward to: Finding out the gender. Apparently Rachel has been predicting a girl, what a wonderful sister she is!

Symptoms: I have been REALLY hungry and thirsty, I think we are playing catch up from Monday.

Baby Bump Week 16: Because I haven't taken a solo picture this week, Baby D and I are going to have Donya join us for the picture :)



Enjoy your weekend!

Week 15: The Baby Bump

This week has been such an exciting one! I thought I totally kicked the morning sickness habit, but got sick this morning :( That is why I am at home blogging instead of getting things done! I do feel even MORE like myself this week and think I am out of the morning sickness mode. I even ate strawberry belts the last 2 nights---YUMMM!

Dylan got to come with me to my appointment on Monday which was a great treat. He is so supportive of me and I am thankful for that. He was immediately on board for the whole midwife deal and really likes Nativiti, our birth center! They told me I need to eat 75 grams of protein a day- WHOA that is a lot! Dylan is very excited about this and keeps trying to make me eat eggs ( as if that is the only and BEST source of protein)! He is just excited that HE will get to eat more protein with me.
(I just realized he doesn't think cheese is a protein--- no wonder he keeps pushing me to eat meat--- I live on cheese and peanut butter!)

In more interesting news, the midwives have scheduled my BIG ULTRASOUND for May 5!!!! We are anxiously awaiting Baby D's Gender Reveal. What do you think is Baby D's Gender?

Pregnancy Highlights for the Week:

How Far Along: 15 Weeks

Fruit/Veggie: Apple

Size: Approximately 4 inches long and 2 ounces in weight

Baby changes: She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")


Best Moment this week: At the climactic song of Easter Sunday Service with loud drums banging and a chorus of instruments and voices singing, Baby D started moving like crazy! It felt like little bubbles rumbling on my lower right side! I would have thought it was my tummy growling except it wasn't in the location of my tummy but my uterus! I grabbed Dylan's hand and he even felt the little bubbles popping. What a gift from God! I got the best Easter present in the whole world this year! I don't think I have grinned that big in a long time!

Movement: Yes! I started noticing something after I ate string cheese or my delicious homemade yogurt! It felt like little bubbles in my stomach. It was so amazing!!

Food Craving: Candy, although I don't think this is a pregnancy craving as much as it is a Katherine craving. I love sweets! Grandma Vinas brought me an eclair on Good Friday and I savored every bite of it all by myself!

What I miss: I still miss some fruits but I think my stomach is mostly back to normal!

Sleep: I was born to sleep, lets just hope Baby D takes after his/her Mom and Dad!

What I am looking forward to: Finding out if we are going to follow the Butler trend or the Dahmann. For those of you that don't know us that well (or blog stalkers) I am the youngest of 5, 1 boy and 4 girls, and I have 5 nieces and 3 nephews! Dylan, on the other hand, is 1 of 3 boys and the Dahmann Cousins consist of 7 boys and 4 girls! He also assures me its a boy--- we will have to see!

Symptoms: I am feeling great these days. I definitely have more energy and am happier than I was in the first trimester as the morning sickness is gone! I definitely feel stretching pain but that is no big deal!

Here is the Baby Bump for Week 15:





Dylan insisted on getting candid shots of me being annoyed he was taking candid shots :) I have to admit he got a really sweet one of me looking down at Baby D! Thanks Babe! Baby D had a growth spurt over night Saturday night and looks a lot bigger all of a sudden! I wish I took a picture on Easter Sunday because we looked super cute in my Maroon Dress---I don't think it will fit too much longer. On Easter morning I put it on only to discover it wouldn't zip! After yelling for help Dylan came to my rescue and informed me it was because the zipper was stuck NOT because I was too big although it did fit VERY snug! Another one bites the dust....for now!

Have a great week!

The Baby Bump

Now that I am out of the morning-sickness-with-a-vengeance period of my pregnancy,I finally feel like taking pictures again.

Even the week before I knew I was pregnant I lost my appetite for taking or being in pictures. I should have known something was up! So today I post my first official "Baby Bump" picture(s)!




( I think I look pregnant, and sure feel like it since none of my pants fit and haven't for a little while now, but others don't seem to think so!) Oh well, I know I should be thankful for that--at least they don't think I look MORE pregnant than I am. I am sure I would get offended by that. I know that will probably happen later on too!

Pregnancy Highlights for the Week:

How Far Along: 14 Weeks

Fruit/Veggie: Lemon

Size: Approximately 3.5 inches long and 1.5 ounces in weight

Baby changes: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.


Best Moment this week: Getting to enjoy time with friends and family without throwing up ( except for a few mornings)! I feel like myself again finally!I know Dylan is even happier about this than I am. He is so sweet and patient with me.

Movement: not quite yet but I am DYING to feel something!

Food Craving: Fruit; I haven't been able to eat acidic things because of the morning sickness so I am trying to add back in fruits. The days I get sick again are usually due to the fact that I tried a fruit my tummy wasn't ready for.

What I miss: Eating whatever food I want without having to think about my sensitive tummy!

Sleep: I sleep great morning, day, or night! Baby D does like to wake me up between 5:30-6:00 AM for breakfast. If I don't then I get sick so we have a good routine going!

What I am looking forward to: Feeling the baby move, Fruit, Gender Reveal Day, being able to eat Chicks Ducks & Bunnies sweetarts without making myself sick(only the best candy ever made--and way better than regular sweetarts)

Symptoms: Morning sickness about every 4 days and some round ligament pains but overall feeling much more like myself now!


I can't wait to track my progress over the next 5.5 months. I was talking to one of my LPM friends, Evangeline, and told her I wish the bump would stay cute the whole pregnancy. She assured me it would not stay cute and little (Oh well) :) I will update with more baby bump pictures every week from here on out (hopefully)!

Have a great week!